


Stories From Another Place

by LordMeyer



Category: Ancient Aliens, Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Mothman (Folklore), Original Work, SCP Foundation
Genre: Aliens, Gods, Multi, Robots, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 12:32:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19295821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordMeyer/pseuds/LordMeyer
Summary: This is a collection of short interconnected stories, some of which I've already posted.





	Stories From Another Place

The Moon’s Lover  
Once the sun rises, our love will disappear, but tonight, the stars look twice as beautiful with you. The moon is twice as big, as I see it in your alluring eyes. It is your home, yet it is the first time you are seeing it. For you, oh Sapphic Selene, to join me tonight, to hold me in your tender arms, to kiss me with your delicate lips, to make me the happiest woman on Earth, just for tonight, I must thank you a thousand, million times. Once your brother returns, you must leave, for he is jealous. To love a human is a sin, your kin, your brother, your sister, your father will look down on you with their furious eyes. But tonight, oh stunning Selene, you are with me. Our love will have to wait for the next moon that rises, when it will be safe for you to visit. Tonight, our love will last for eternity, as you gently embrace me, as I lay my head on your breasts. As I sleep, you are with me in my dreams, where our embrace and our love never ends. As I awaken, the sun blinds me. I am alone, saddened by the empty void you have left. But I am happy, to have seen the moon with the moon herself. Oh, joyous Selene, my heart aches for your return, and when the next moon rises, you shall find my love here, once again.

The Butcher  
The light blue blood of the Andromedan spider-pig covered her cream-colored apron. The entire butchery stank of death, with counters filled of meat from every corner of the universe. Jars full of multi-color eyes and guts adorned the shelves placed on the metallic walls. Demon legs (from which the delicious demonic ham is made) filled the butchery's windows with their green, scaly skin. The Io worms swam in muriatic acid. They were cheap, as only a few species could flavor their delicious and toxic flesh, similar in taste to chicken. The young butcher was sharpening her enormous knifes, ready to slice the breast of a young Ultra-Scorpion from New Venus, whose shell is five times harder than a diamond from 55 Cancri-E. While she was busy cutting up the hard flesh, a curious couple entered the establishment. "Finally!" she thought "The first clients of the day." She had never seen them before, maybe they were new in town, or tourists that were visiting New Earth from the first time. However, she knew exactly what species they were: a Disprien, a species of immortals able to shape-shift, and an Ummite, giant humanoids whose skin is so sensitive they have to be constantly wearing a full-body suit.  
"Glory to the Empire!" She said, ready to serve the two clients.  
"Glory!" Said the Disprien, "My husband and I would like something special to celebrate our union!"  
"The best you have!" Said the Ummite, "but nothing too heavy!"  
"I could interest you in a piece of-" she took a large breath “Mshshghaeularitomsdh!” she pointed at an amorphous yellow and purple mass.  
"Too expensive!" Complained the Disprien.  
"What about a steak of Andromedan spider-pig? Perfect when served with blue wine from New Neptune!"  
"Sounds good, but..." said the Ummite, pointing at some meat in the back, "...what are those... red things?"  
"Those? They are sausages made from pig meat, it's something the humans on old Earth would eat."  
"We'll take them!" Said the aliens.  
"Are you sure?" She said flabbergasted. Nobody had bought Earth meat in years, not since the majority of humans had left for New Moon.  
"Totally!" The lovers yelled, hugging, "They are perfect!"  
Without saying anything else, the butcher put the sausages in a bag and gave it to the costumers. As the Disprien was paying, the Ummite got closer to the butcher.  
"You know..." he said "I've seen humans before..." he laughed "...but this is the first time I see a female butcher!"

My Beloved Human  
“So…” The creature scratched her feathery, bulbous head with her three-clawed leg, as she had no arms to do so, “What are you again?”  
“A human, Madame.” The young girl covered her face, to hide her embarrassed blush, as it was illegal on their planet.  
“Right, right. From E-ear-at…”  
“Earth, Madame.”  
“Yes, thank you. And for how long have you two been dating?”  
“Five months, nine weeks, thirteen days, six hours, forty-nine minutes, twenty-two seconds, twenty-three seconds, twenty-four sec-” The other being joyfully screeched at the top of her five lungs, nuzzling her beak on her girlfriend’s cheek and tenderly caressing her back with her blue tentacle (which was also her favorite tentacle).  
“It’s been so long already? Time sure flies!” She lovingly scratched her soulmate’s chin, in a way no one in the entire galaxy could. As the couple displayed their love, the other alien simply averted her gaze, squinting her eyes and covering them with her wings.  
“I see…Koun’tess, dear, may I talk to you for a second?”  
“Sure!” She gently beaked her girlfriend’s lips “I’ll be right back, my love!” In a fraction of a second, both aliens had disappeared, leaving the young red-haired girl alone in palace two million light years away from her house in Cork. “I always forget she can do that.” She said.  
“What… are you doing?” They could finally speak their native language, as they now were in a different plane of existence. “A human?”  
“Her name is Siobhan.”  
“I am not even going to attempt to pronounce that.”  
“It’s really easy! First you have to place two of your tongues in your larynx and-”  
“That’s not important!” Her eyes had went from a glistering gold to a bloody red, and her veins became visible despite all her feathers. “You are really doing… things with that… thing?”  
“Aimp’ress.” She sternly placed her red tentacle on her shoulder “What I do with my partner is none of your business.”  
“But…a human! It’s basically an animal! How much does it even live, five days?”  
“I already told you.” Her grip became tighter. “Not. Your. Business.”  
“People will judge you! You can’t walk around Kant’bekkia with that thing under your wing!”  
“They already did. Besides, we started a union with their planet. They should start getting used to them, because they are going to see them around much more once they start coming here. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have someone to go back to.”  
“No.” Aimp’ress’ eyes became completely black, as she began foaming from her beak. “I don’t want something as filthy, pathetic, weak and hideous as a human on my goddess-damn planet!”  
“Enough is enough!” Her voice was full of rage. “I am tired of your anthropophobia!”  
“I AM the one who is tired of seeing that thing on my planet!” Aimp’ress began to violently shake, puking multi-color vomit as enormous cysts simultaneously explode in her intestines due the centuries of repressed anger. “I am going… I am going to kill that human!” An unbearably loud screech resonated within the empty plane of existence, ended only by the violent slap of a tentacle.  
“Stop it!” Koun’tess yelled, as she kept on slapping her former friend. “I won’t let you talk like that!” Each slap was stronger than the last one, as she began to use all five of her tentacles at once. “Why do you always act like this, why can’t you just…let me be happy, for once?” Tears started to flow from both of their faces.  
“I just want to be happy…” Aimp’ress’ eyes went back to being golden, although her tears barely showed it.  
“Do you think I don’t?” She cried “Do you really think I don’t want you to be happy?”  
“Then why do you always try to stop me from reaching happiness?”  
“Because…” She lowered her gaze, drying up her tears with her wings. “Because I want to be the one…” Her voice had become feeble, trembling; as if the angry, hateful demon that was within her body had been replaced by a scared child. “I want to be the one to make you happy!” Her voice cracked. Koun’tess stared at her, with tearful eyes.  
“Aimp’ress…” Her anger too had been replaced by sadness.  
“For the last five hundred years, I have been in love with you, since when the first moon shone its gentle light on your ivory horns. Do you remember? The first time we met? When you barely had feathers and your tentacles were still so short despite your age?” She smirked at those unforgettable memories.  
“They are quite big now, aren’t they?” She said, as used the same tentacles to wipe away the tears on her friend’s cheeks.  
“They are…” Aimp’ress slowly embraced her. “I’ve always been by your side, haven’t I?” She gently caressed her horns with her own tentacles. “Yet, you never loved me the same way I do.”  
“I am sorry, but we can’t choose who we fall in love with, can we?” Aimp’ress let go of her, and slowly backed away.  
“You love that human, right?”  
“I do.”  
“Then go back to her. I’ll come back soon.”  
Koun’tess hesitated, staring at her without uttering a word, with pain in her eyes. But after a few minutes, she disappeared. Aimp’ress however, made a choice. She chose to remain there, where time does not exist, and to wait simply for two things: for the human to die, or for her love to vanish. And as she waited for either of these to happen, she was left on her own, only in company of herself. Eventually, she stopped thinking.

The Moon Loves Back  
Oh Charma, beautiful woman from the blue dot in the black, who knew that a human could bring such joy, such love, that flesh could bring such happiness? Wonderful Charma, our love shall shine brighter than the brightest stars, it shall fill the empty void of space, warm the cold embrace of stillness. Graceful Charma, I miss you, I miss your lovingly embrace, your enticing ginger hair, your resplendent hazel eyes. Gracious Charma, I never knew that a human could surpass divine beauty, that the smile of an Earthly woman could warm the lonely and rocky heart of the moon. My beloved Charma, know that anytime you look up the sky from your green, grassy fields, I will be also looking down on you, into your marvelous eyes full of love, and when from your Earth my Moon shall appear full, for a night I shall be free from this prison, and that night shall know true love. Oh, my sweet, mortal Charma, my ignorant kin hates our love, they would rather see me suffer in solitude than between the arms of a human, but they do not realize that our love shall be eternal, and when the Moon and the Earth will be closer, so will our hearts, and our love shall truly be eternal. Elegant, sublime, radiant Charma, love of my never-ending life, I await you.

No Longer Alone  
The last of her kind walked along the ancient soil. Her dark green skin clashed against the bright red sand of the dead planet she used to call home. It had been eons since she last saw a member of her species, for they all had died millions of years ago. Yet she kept on walking, dragging her tired feet across the barren crimson desert. The machine crawled through the scarlet wasteland, unaware that its mission was over, that its creators had died centuries prior. It kept on scavenging the red planet, obtaining all the data it could, and sending it back to a home that was no longer there. The last of her kind saw the distant shimmer from something far away, between the dunes that once were home of thousands of her kin. For the first time in ages, she did not walk. Instead, she ran. The sensors of the machine detected something in the distance, which kept getting closer and closer, something that had not happened in the two centuries it had left its home. Steadily, it moved towards the mysterious object, in hopes of completing its mission. And they met each other, between the ruins of a forgotten world, covered by ancient sand, on a planet no one knows exists. It was not one of her people, the last of her kind thought, it was just a small machine, similar to the ones she played with as a child. Yet it moved, it walked, it was alive. It was something. The machine snapped hundreds of pictures with its solar powered camera. Its mission was finally over, it had finally found life on another planet. It could go home. However, this was its home. The last of her kind crouched, slowly caressing the metallic exterior of the machine. It felt cold and rough, but it was fine. She finally had someone. The machine could not understand why the green creature so different from its creators was touching it, but it was fine. It finally had someone. They were no longer alone.

In The Dark  
The city was asleep. The dark clouds blanketed the moon, making the neon lights of the moth covered street lamps, the only thing sparing the night from total darkness. The young man was strolling down the street without a destination. The gentle breeze of the summer night did not bother him at all, despite his light clothing. In the corner of the street a homeless man was sitting on a cardboard bed. He had long, greasy hair, and wore nothing but ruined brown pants and a filthy green coat.  
“Young man!” The homeless man yelled, “Come here!”  
“Me?” He inquired.  
“Yes, yes!” The old man spoke with an eastern European accent, “Do you have any money for this poor old man?”  
“Just a few coins.” He took five cents out of his pockets.  
“Those will do, boy!” With feline movements, he took the money out of the man’s hands, “Thank you, thank you! What’s your name?” He said as he hid the coins into his coat.  
“Andrew.” He was flabbergasted by the old man’s speed.  
“What a coincidence!” The homeless man rubbed his long, unkempt beard, “My name is Andrei! I’m from Cluj-Napoca, have you ever heard of it?”  
“It’s in Romania, isn’t it?”  
“Yes, yes! You are a smart young man, indeed!” He laughed.  
“Thanks.” He took out his phone, to see what time it was. “Well, it’s quite late, I must be going!”  
“Farewell, young boy!” As Andrew began to walk away, the old man’s face became more and more distorted. As he stood up, his eyes turned from light blue to a glowing blood red, his canines doubled in length, and his ears were now more similar to the ones of a bat rather than a human. In a moment, he was suddenly behind Andrew, and without the young man even noticing, he had sunk his teeth into his neck. However, his flesh did not feel feeble and tender like it usually did. Instead, it felt hard, almost metallic.  
“I knew you’d show yourself, vampire.”  
Out of shock, the vampire let go of him, his face was even more pale that usual. “What? What does it mean?”  
“Since you are about to die, I will tell you the truth. My name is not Andrew; it is actually Model 4NDR-3W. I was, or should I say, will be built, by the Van Helsing Robotics in the year 2157. In my future, vampires have almost completely wiped out humanity. I traveled to the past with the sole purpose of destroying every filthy, disgusting vampire.” His eyes began to glow a yellow light as bright as the sun, “And you, Andrei, are the first!” The blinding light of the vampire-killing machine slowly incinerated the vampire, his agonizing screams of pain echoed through the night. As he suffered the most brutal death, every nearby vampire was now aware that that night, they were not the ones doing the hunting.

The Eclipse  
Oh, divine Selene, whose resplendent glory shines bright in the night, I no longer can wait for your return, my heart cries out your name, no longer I can sleep without you embracing me in my dreams, no longer I can look at the moon, knowing you also suffer for my absence. But the oracle has spoken, when the moon shall cast her gracious shadow on the Earth, I shall take my last breath, as my immortal soul joins you in your lunar palace. Our souls shall be one, our dreams will no longer be dreams, but reality, and our love, our love shall be as immortal, eternal and as beautiful as you are, oh Selene, my moon, my light, my sole reason of life and death. To you and only you I offer myself, for you are the only one worthy of my love, as I am the only one worthy of yours. To the Earth I leave my body, for my soul and my heart belong to you, my treasured Selene. I say goodbye to those I leave behind, but were they in my skin, I believe they would not do any different. Endearing Selene, the Earth and the stars shall be our children, as we watch over them from our ivory tower. Neither your family nor the other deities shall hinder our love, as it is above their fear and their hate. And in millions of years when the moon and the Earth shall no longer be, the stars shall be our home, we will travel across the cosmos as our love refuses to perish. How enamored am I of you, precious Selene, my one and only goddess, I am so tired of your absence, but it does not bother me, for the eclipse is near, and so is my blade.

Take Me Home  
The starless night enveloped the West Virginian forest, as the moonlight reflected off his crimson eyes. The gentle wind aided him with his flight as he ventured through the dark. It thought of its home, the one it left behind, the one he did not fit in. It had always been far bigger than all the other chicks, since it hatched, and once it reached the size of an adult human, it knew that he was no longer welcomed in his nest. The giant owl rested its tired wings on a branch, looking for some nocturnal mammal to snack on. However, a bright orange light from the dark sky ruined its hunt, as it approached the grassy soil of the forest. The owl flew towards the unknown object as it landed, wondering how something could shine so bright. As it touched the ground, the owl landed on a nearby tree, to observe the ship as it slowly opened, releasing a green smoke of unspeakable smell. A being it had never seen emerged from the green cloud, making its way through the muddy land. It was enormous, almost as tall as the small trees the ship had destroyed by landing on them. It wore some sort of armor, similar to a long dress that covered the entirety of its body. It wore a red, bell-shaped helmet adorned by a pair of eye-like lights. The owl watched in confusion and astonishment, as its mind wandered to where the creature could be come from, what its motives were, what it could truly look like under that armor. Suddenly, the extraterrestrial moved its head towards the giant owl, as it screeched an inhuman hiss. It slowly levitated towards the owl, hissing louder and louder. However, it did not fly away, it was not afraid of the alien, but he felt something from them, something it could not completely understand. As the being from beyond the stars came closer to the owl, it stopped hissing. Its scarlet eyes reflected on the alien’s visors, as they longingly stared into each other’s. There was a strange calmness to it, as if nothing else existed but them. Gently, the creature from another planet raised its arm, running its metallic fingers through the owl’s feathers. This was the first time the owl felt something like this. It felt happiness. No one had ever been so gentle, so kind, and so pure to it. The owl made gentle chirp, as the alien kept caressing its head. They understood each other, they realized they had so much in common, they were so similar. They did not fit in, they were shunned, ostracized by their peers. They were like siblings, like souls linked to one another. From the nearby towns, those who were unable to sleep saw a shining light emerge from the woods, as it quickly returned to the stars. They could never know that within that ship, two creatures so different and yet so similar, had found each other.

Ambush In The Dark  
The child slept peacefully in his racecar bed, snuggling his pillow as if it was the last one on Earth. The closet’s door slowly creaked, as the creature stalked him with its eager eyes. Slowly, it crawled out of the wardrobe like a ravenous beast, and approached the bed. It stood up on its decaying, rotten legs, as it prepared to feast on the innocent’s blood. The abomination unhinged its jaw as it displayed its ungodly canines. However, before it could end the young one’s life, an arm emerged from its chest, violently piercing its heart. A mouth approached its bat-like ears, speaking in a monotone, robotic voice.  
“Vampire. Detected.”  
As the vampire crumbled to dust, it shrieked in pain, its body becoming nothing more than a pile of ashes on the bed’s sheets. The small child slowly opened his eyes, only to see a man he had never seen before in his bedroom.  
“Who… who are you, sir?” The child asked, quivering in fear.  
“Oh, hey little one, I’m Andrew! Don’t worry, I am going to leave now, go back to sleep! Goodnight!”  
As the robot was about to leave from the window, the scared child grabbed his hand, with a grip way too tight for a kid his age.  
“Please don’t leave, Mr. Andrew…”  
“Why? Why is that, little boy?”  
“Because…” The child got closer to Andrew’s face, with sorrowful eyes, “Because I want to see you die!” With unbelievable strength and speed, the child lacerated the metallic exterior of Andrew’s face with the monstrous claws his hand had suddenly morphed into, heavily damaging Andrew’s right eye.  
“You are a vampire! But…” The robot stepped back, powering up his remaining eye, ready to finish off the vampire child. “But why couldn’t I detect you?”  
“You see, machine, my abilities are far superior to any low-level vampire you may have met in the future!” The android was not ready to witness the most grotesque thing he would ever see in his metallic life: the child’s body began to break apart, the sound of tearing flesh and breaking bones echoed through the room. His short limbs stretched into decaying muscles, his hair grew longer, and his face, despite being so inhuman and deformed, began to look familiar.  
“Do you know who I am, you filthy, soulless machine?” The creature growled in a demonic voice. “My name is Sergei! Sergei Ordog! You killed my brother!”  
“Don’t worry Sergei, you’ll join him soon.”  
Without hesitation, the vampire threw himself towards the robot in a fit of anger and lust for revenge, screeching and screaming unbearable high-pitched shrieks. Despite the injuries, his left eye was still able to cast a light so intense, not only it had completely disintegrated Sergei in a matter of seconds, but it also had lit the entire room on fire. Although he was a robot, Andrew took a breath of relief. His database had no data regarding such powerful vampires, nor about their ability to cloak themselves. Before he could call it a victory, two more vampires broke into the room, as they grabbed the powerless Andrew, as his last attack had completely drained his core. More and more vampires came from the now broken windows, unfazed by the burning room, and many more could be seen hiding in the shadows of the night, lurking above the rooftops, their blood colored eyes shimmering in the dark. His vampire-detector was completely out of order, as it wasn’t able to take track of all the abominations that had ambushed him. In a moment of clarity, he realized that was their plan from the beginning. The vampire he had killed earlier was nothing more than bait, a corpse they dug up from a grave. And as the monsters broke the android to pieces, he understood that there was not a single human left in the city. He had failed.  
“Three…” A voice came from his core.  
“Two…” He smirked. He realized that it was not over yet.  
“One…” He closed his eye, as he accepted his death, knowing that in the end, he had won. A massive explosion of light engulfed the city, shining so bright Selene could see it from her lunar palace, vaporizing every single vampire in the entire continent without them even realizing what just happened. The vampires that survived endured an even worse fate, as they slowly burned alive over the course of the days as the radiation covered the entire planet. In a matter of weeks, the entire vampire population went extinct, without humanity ever realizing it. And when the year 2157 came around, vampires were only regarded as myths and legends from ancient times. Humanity flourished and progressed thanks to the sacrifice of Model 4NDR-3W, the unsung hero they would never know existed, but were he alive, he would not care about any glory or fame, for his only dream was to see a world where humanity could be itself, without any fear.

Together  
In every polis, from Athens to Sparta, people were gazing at the first eclipse to happen in centuries, the shadow of the moon made the sun nothing more of a glowing ring in the dark sky. It lasted for hours, almost like it didn’t want to end, as if it had its own soul and refused to leave. When the sun was shining its bright light over the ancient land of Greece once again, Charma’s body laid still on the ground, as her flowing blood had given the green grass a scarlet hue, her blade embedded deep within intestines. When she opened her eyes again, all she could see in front of her was the never-ending stillness of the cosmos. She felt light, as if the body she once had was now just a distant memory. She rose her hand towards the stars, realizing that she now glowed a faint light. She stood up, looking around the grey, rocky land around her. That’s when she saw her figure, a splendid, glowing angel of beauty. She was bare, her entire body devoid of color, her short white hair floated in the low gravity environment, her head adorned by an intricate crescent shaped crown. She smiled with teary eyes. Charma ran towards her without thinking about it twice, as Selene welcomed her with open arms. Their embrace was gentle and loving, giving each other soft kisses on the forehead and the neck.  
“My love.” Whispered Selene as she stroked Charma’s curly, ginger hair.  
“Selene, my light…” Charma tightened her hug. “Finally.” Tears of happiness rolled down their faces, as their embrace made them appear as one.  
“Not yet, my sweet honey.” Said Selene, as she looked straight into Charma’s loving eyes. “You are now a phantom, a spirit.” She stroked her soft cheeks. “My love, are you sure of your choice? To remain here, for eternity?”  
“My moon, light of my life, I already made my choice the moment I put a knife between my guts. I want to spend more than the eternity with you. Even when the Universe will come to an end, our love will still prevail.”  
“I love you.”  
“I love you, too.” As they deeply stared into each other’s eyes, their soft lips came closer, as they shared a passionate kiss, the first one they ever gave. As their lips touched, life blossomed under their feet, a small patch of roses and lilies sprung to life on the rocky lunar surface. The moment after, they laid down on the grass that was now adorning the formerly lifeless moon.  
“That was wonderful.” Selene smiled  
“It really was.” Charma blushed, living once again.  
“I made you into a goddess, my joy. We are one.”  
That night, the moon was twice as beautiful.

I Blessed The Rains  
David woke up early that day, as he usually did. He ate his breakfast rather quickly, put on his clothes and walked his way to the bus stop, which arrived twenty minutes later. He took his seat at the back of the bus, sat down, and put his headphones on. It would have taken half an hour to reach the university, so he decided to listen to his favorite songs to kill time. ‘Take On Me’ went by, so did ‘Epitaph’, and he enjoyed listening to ‘In The Air Tonight’ for the hundredth time. However, he thought that something was missing. A song he was sure he had on his playlist didn’t start. It was his all-time favorite song, too: ‘Africa’ by Toto.  
“Weird.” He thought, “Did I delete it? I guess I’ll search it on YouTube.” However, his research proved to be completely fruitless, as the glorious song was nowhere to be seen on the site. “Did they remove every single video about Africa? Damn copyright claims!” The bus arrived at university. David walked down the cafeteria. His first lesson was at 9:30, he thought he could have a cup of coffee first.  
“Good morning, David!” A friend of his who had the same idea approached him.  
“Oh, hey, good morning Emmanuel!” Said David. “Say man, you saw what they did on YouTube? They removed all videos about Africa!”  
“Damn, that’s kind of racist, isn’t it?” Said Emmanuel. David looked at his friend, bewildered.  
“No, I mean the song.”  
“The song?”  
“Africa by Toto, my favorite song?”  
“I’ve never heard of it.” Said Emmanuel, confused. David had a frustrated look on his face, he felt as if Emmanuel was making fun of him, but eventually did not pay much attention to it. They both took their coffees, and headed towards their respective lessons. The day went by without any further incidents, and he had almost forgotten about the whole Africa ordeal, were it not for the fact that, once he had returned home, he noticed one of his dad’s vinyl discs was missing: Toto.  
“Mom?” He phoned his mother, since she came to visit him last week. “Did you take one of dad’s discs? You know how much those matter to me, right?”  
“No? Why would I do that? You are the one always losing stuff!” His mom scolded him.  
“No need to talk like that, for fuck’s sake, mom.”  
“Language! What disc was it, anyways?”  
“Toto IV, 1982.”  
“Who the hell is Toto?”  
“Damn mom, I know you are old but there’s no way you could forget about’em! Africa, Rosanna, Hold The Line!”  
“I’ve never heard any of these songs.” David sighed, as he ended the call without saying his mom goodbye. He turned on his laptop, hoping to find a copy of the disc online. “I’ll just buy a new one, I guess.” However, nowhere on the entire internet he could find it. Now that he realized, he could find no information about the band Toto, as if they had been deleted from existence.  
“It…it can’t be!” He yelled at the top of his lungs. “Does this fucking band not exist anymore or what?” In a fit of rage, he slammed his PC down and turned on the television, hoping to calm down. He tuned in to some talk show, the host talking to some sort of scientist.  
“Welcome back to the Tonight Show with Jimmy McBrian!” said the man in the stereotypical ‘talk show host’ voice, “For those who tuned in just now, this is Dr. Endymion Aethlius from Greece, the lead scientist behind the dimension-travel experiments.”  
“Dimension…travels?” Mumbled David, incredulous.  
“Dr. Aethlius, what can you tell us about your work?” inquired the man in the television.  
“Well, you see, Jimmy.” replied the scientist “In the last few weeks, we have managed to open portals to other dimensions, and even to get some people inside them, but we have realized that there have been some…drawbacks, you might say.”  
“What kind of drawbacks are you talking about, doctor?”  
“During our tests, whenever we opened a portal, some of our equipment would be…replaced by something similar. For example, one time I was holding a black pen, and when we opened the portal, it became a blue pen without me even realizing it!” The scientist giggled.  
“What do you think this could mean, Dr. Aethlius?” Despite the topic, the host sounded completely indifferent.  
“Well, this is just my theory, but I believe that these portals may be taking ‘something’ from our universe and ‘replacing’ it with things from other universes. Probably some scientist in a different dimension has my pen!” Everyone in the studio erupted in laughter. However, David was not.  
“Another… universe.” He cried. “I am stuck in another universe… where Toto never became a band…” David went silent. He stood up, and moved to the kitchen. As he took a knife out of the drawer, he thought of all the songs he could never listen to ever again. As he hummed the chorus of Africa, he slit his throat.

The Wedding  
For centuries to come, this would have been the most important event in the history of the entire universe. For the first time, a human and a Kant’bekkian would marry; the Human-Kant’bekkian Empire could finally exist. Siobhan O’Donnell stared anxiously at her own reflection within the giant mirror in her room, as the alien bridesmaids combed her hair and applied special make-up that would hide her blushing, which despite being inevitable at your own marriage, was still illegal.  
“When will I meet Koun’tess?” Siobhan asked, as it had been two days since she last saw her would-be wife.  
“Don’t you worry, darling, you’ll meet her at the wedding!” Said Kvii’n, her bridesmaid, as she brushed her hair with her tentacles.  
“She’ll look so beautiful!” Added Marq’ess, as she applied large doses of alien make up on Siobhan’s ivory face. “I am so happy for you!”  
Koun’tess stared blankly at the ceiling, laying down on the bed she shared her first time with Siobhan, on the other side of the planet.  
“I should be happy…” She thought to herself, “…but I can’t.”  
She rolled on her bed back and forth, as she dropped feathers everywhere.  
“Why?” She said aloud, “Why did it have to go this way?” She stood up, and walked around her round bedroom, looking at old portraits.  
“Why couldn’t you accept this?” She put her wing on top of an old friend’s portrait. “Why couldn’t we all be happy, Aimp’ress?” She stared at the portrait of the two of them with teary eyes, almost waiting for a response.  
“We could have been like a family, Aimp’ress!” She rose her voice at a still image of someone that was no longer here. “But you had to ruin this. You had to leave after five centuries, just before my marriage. You had to leave a hole in my hearts, as if five centuries of friendship never mattered.” There was a knock on the door. A servant made her way into the room, uncaring of Koun’tess’ talk with nothingness.  
“Your resplendent Majesty.” She said. “The bride is waiting for you.” She left, without saying another word. Koun’tess looked around the room a last time, and grabbed a smaller portrait of Aimp’ress she had made centuries prior.  
“You know, Aimp’ress, I realized something. You never loved me as much as you claimed. If your love was true, you would have never caused me this much pain.” She put down the picture, and moved towards the door. “I’m sorry it had to end this way. But there’s someone that truly loves me waiting for me.” She left, closing the door behind her. “I wish you were here to see that.”  
The human bride waited in front of the altar. She was wearing a white dress, adorned with Kant’bekkian runes, ancient poetries about love. The most important Kant’bekkian were there, and even a few human diplomats. Sadly, her family could not make it, thus she promised them to pay a visit during their honeymoon.  
“She’s late…” She panicked. “What if something happened? Oh stars, oh stars…”  
“Don’t worry, little one!” Kvii’n wrapped her wing around the frightened woman. “She’ll be there soon!” And she was right. Koun’tess manifested in front of the temple, and fabulously made her way to the altar. Kant’bekkian brides usually wear long and complex veils that covered their entire bodies. However, that was not what she was wearing. Instead, she wore a white dress, similar to the ones humans would usually wear. As she approached Siobhan, she placed her tentacle on her face, and slowly caressed it, ruining her make-up, aided by Siobhan’s tears of happiness.  
“Made you wait, uh?” The two embraced lovingly, as the ritual could commence. They followed a human ritual, so that Siobhan could keep her guts intact. For this reason, for the first time, a human priest had the honor to marry a human and an alien on a planet two million light-years away.  
“Do you, Siobhan O’Donnell, take Koun’tess Menc’olek Pasc’un Badr’uk-” he took a huge breath, “-the third as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"  
“I do.”  
“And do you, Koun’tess Me-”  
“I do!” She said preemptively, and no one complained.  
“You may now kiss the bride.”  
And as they both removed their veil from their faces, Koun’tess leaned in, as they shared a passionate kiss, mouth to beak.  
“And now!” Announced Koun’tess, “As the Empress of Kant’bekkia, I hereby proclaim my wife as the Empress of Earth, and thus join our planets in a never-ending union!” The whole crowd, aliens and humans alike, erupted in applause, as they were now part of the most powerful empire in the history of the universe. History had been made. Siobhan approached Koun’tess ear.  
“I want you to meet my parents.”

The Father  
The two lovers cuddled on the grassy field that existed for them and only them. They shared gentle kisses on each other’s bodies as they embraced.  
“Selene, light of my life.” Charma took a breath from kissing her girlfriend’s neck, “If I am a goddess, does that mean I am…”  
“Immortal, yes.” Selene smiled, as she placed her lips upon Charma’s.  
“Will I have develop the abilities of a god?” Selene giggled softly.  
“We shall see.” They kept on kissing, as more flowers bloomed underneath their loving bodies. Suddenly, she pulled back. Selene had sensed that something was coming, as golden tears rolled down her faces.  
“No…” She cried out.  
“My love!” Charma grabbed her by the shoulders, terrified.  
“He’s…” Selene stood up, looking towards the abyss of space. “He’s here.” A slow, immense figure slowly drifted towards the moon. Charma stood there petrified, as she understood the horrors of the universe.  
“S-Selene…” Charma cried in fear, “…What is that?”  
The gargantuan monster silently landed on their side of the moon, as the grass and the flowers shriveled and died, the surface returning to its barren appearance. The creature resembled a human, but was times larger, roughly the size of a temple. As he walked towards the two goddesses, his enormous steps shook the ground.  
“Selene!” He boomed with his loud, low-pitched voice, “Disgraceful daughter! Once again you bring shame to your family! I will not forgive the same mistake!” The furious Titan crouched as he tried to grab Charma with his humongous hands. Selene put herself in front of her beloved, challenging her tyrant father.  
“Father! I made my choice!” She yelled, “She’s no longer a mortal, she’s a goddess! I won’t let you take her away from me, not again!”  
“You defy me, the great Hyperion? I created you, you ungrateful bastard, and you will obey me!”  
“I won’t!” Her screams could be heard throughout the cosmos.  
“Then die!” With just one finger, Hyperion squashed the goddess, with so much strength and fury that the moon felt like it was going to break apart. Charma shouted in fear, at the top of her lungs, but it didn’t matter, for the Titan had grabbed her into his enormous hand.  
“Now, you ‘goddess’, what should a fitting end for you be?” Hyperion pondered, scratching his dark beard. “Oh, I know, I shall consume you!” Charma kept on screaming, as she tried to fight her way out of the Titan’s grip to no avail, as he opened his mouth wide, ready to devour the poor woman. Liters of blood gushed out, as Hyperion’s fingers slowly fell towards the moon’s surface, turning into rocks. A pair of loving arms grabbed Charma, aiding her in her fall and gently placing her on the rocky ground.  
“S-Selene…” The goddess stood above the ground, covered in blood, with an expression Charma had never seen on her face. She wasn’t angry, for ‘angry’ couldn’t even begin to describe the never-ending fury she felt. The Titan languished in pain, as blood floated around the stillness of space.  
“You wrench! After all I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me? Now, now you die!”  
“Hyperion.” Selene flew right in front of his face, with eyes full of rage. “I refuse to even call you ‘father’. In the past centuries, you have done nothing than hinder me, I let you take away from me the people I loved the most. But now, I’ve made a choice: I will spend eternity with my Charma, my lover, the star of my life, and you will either accept it, or you will die.” Hyperion shouted in rage, as he tried to grab Selene with his remaining hand, ready to crush her again.  
“Your choice.” Like an arrow, she launched herself towards her monstrous creator, piercing him between his enormous eyes. He yelled as she made her way to his brain, and then emerging from the other side of his head. As the Titan writhed in pain, he fell to the ground, immediately turning in nothing more than rocks and pebbles. She turned her gaze back to Charma, whose eyes were frozen in fear and disgust, traumatized by the brutal patricide. Selene’s anger left her body, as she returned to her lover, embracing her.  
“It’s over, my love.” She tried to comfort her, “No one will stand between our love ever again.” Charma slowly came back to her sense, caressing Selene’s glowing hair.  
“I love you, I love you so much.” Charma said.  
“I love you too, my joy.”  
“What did he mean ‘once again’?”

Light In The Dark  
Dr. Abraham Van Helsing III sat behind his desk, sorrowfully holding the only remaining picture of the family he had lost. He slowly caressed the picture with his thumb, his tears staining the film of the fond photograph.  
“Dr. Van Helsing?” A young man promptly entered the door, without even knocking on the door, which startled the scientist for a brief moment, as their lives could end at any moment.  
“Oh, it’s you.” Van Helsing dried his tears and placed the picture back on the desk. “Remember to knock next time, Dr. Al-Iskandar.”  
“Oh, my apologies.” Dr. Mahmoud Al-Iskandar went back outside the office, closed the door, knocked, and entered the office. That’s what he would usually do when he was a child, any time his Egyptian father would scold him about not knocking on the door. Van Helsing barely reacted, as this was not the first time he had done that.  
“Is there something you had to tell me?”  
“Oh, yes, yes. According to our reports, vampires have been completely removed from Timeline B.”  
“What about the ones in this timeline?”  
“It appears, sir…” Dr. Al-Iskandar swallowed his spit in anxiety, “…it appears we have proved multiverse theory to be true.” Van Helsing tightened his fist, fruitlessly trying to hide his anger.  
“I see. What about And- I mean, Model 4NDR-3W?”  
“Sir…” Mahmoud began to sweat profusely, regretting every choice he had ever made, “…it looks like they, well, self-destructed…” Van Helsing stared blankly at the harbinger of such news, the light in his eyes slowly fading. “But!” Mahmoud added “Their sacrifice wasn’t in vain! An entire timeline is now free of vampires, it’s a matter of time before-”  
“Mahmoud.” Van Helsing stopped him. “I understand.” The elderly roboticist approached his apprentice, grabbing him by the shoulder. “I know you are trying to make me feel better. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t get attached to the machines we work with, after all, they are just tools for war, weapons.”  
“Abraham, please…” Mahmoud covered his mouth, “Sorry, Dr. Van Helsing.”  
“It’s fine, you can call me that.” Mahmoud looked at him straight into his grey eyes, and placed his hand on the one Abraham had put on his shoulder.  
“Abraham, I know how you feel. I know how much Andrew mattered to you, and what you had to live through, you don’t have to apologize.”  
“Mahmoud…” He tried his hardest not to cry.  
“You have my word Abraham.” Mahmoud grabbed both of the old scientist’s hands, with the most serious look on his face. “We will kill every single filthy, soulless vampire, not only here, but in every single timeline!” Van Helsing broke down in tears, unable to contain his emotions any longer.  
“How?” He cried, “Andrew is gone… again…” He buried his face on Mahmoud’s chest, ruining his lab coat. “They took everything away…” He fell on the ground, crying the hardest he ever had. “They took Andrew away from me, just like they did ten years ago, my boy, the light of my life. For ten years I tried to bring him back, even if I knew it wasn’t really him!” Mahmoud stared at the old man as he was crying. He walked towards his desk, to gander at the picture he was looking at earlier. It was a picture of a young man and a woman, holding a baby.  
“Julia… Andrew…. I couldn’t protect you. I couldn’t protect you twice…”  
“Abe…” Mahmoud looked back at the old man.  
“What?” He said, glancing at him with tearful eyes. Mahmoud grabbed a small USB drive from his pockets.  
“We still got hope.”

Skies Above  
For the past five millennia, a brutal war had plagued the small planet known as Nibiru. Billions had died over the course of five-thousand years and all the efforts made by the neighboring super-powers to bring peace on the war-torn planet, like the Human-Kant’bekkian Empire and the Disprien Empire, were completely in vain. Two races fought for supremacy over the small rock at the edge of the Solar System: the first were the Annunaki, an ancient species of giant humanoids from beyond the galaxy, whose skin was as dark as the night, their four eyes shining like stars, with long, beautiful hair they braided into complex dreads. Their civilization was as old as the Solar System itself, and thus believed the rightful heirs to Nibiru’s throne. The other species called themselves the Nephilim, a much younger civilization, born from the union between the first Annunaki colonizers and the now extinct native people of Nibiru. They were much taller than their Annunaki brethren, and had a more maroon complexion. Because of their heritage, they saw themselves as the true owners of the land they stood on and the full-blooded Annunaki as invaders. King Marduk, son of Enki, leader of the Annunaki, stood on the top of Mount Eridu, his army awaiting for his orders. From the distance, he could see the Nephilim marching on, ready to fight what could have been the decisive battle for the planet. Jurhum, son of Abu and king of all Nephilim, marched alongside his troops, ready to die for Nibiru, as he saw the glimmering of Marduk’s crown from the top of the mountain. With a single order, the Annunaki soldiers slid down Mount Eridu, led by their fearless king, as they marched into battle, armed with mighty swords and shields. Jurhum however, as he believed himself to be the strongest of all the Nephilim, decided to run towards the impeding army, leaving his own men behind. If he had to die, he wanted to die a hero. Some of Marduk’s strongest men, the ones he had trained himself, launched themselves at the approaching enemy, brandishing the best weaponry the Annunaki had to offer. With a single swing of his axe, Jurhum had sliced them all in half, their blood and guts fertilizing the soil. Enraged, Marduk unsheathed his enormous sword, as long as he was tall, and with unmatched speed, outran his own army. If anyone had to kill Jurhum, it had to be him. As the two kings ran into one another, their weapons violently clashed as they parried, the blood on Jurhum’s axe stained Marduk’s sacred blade, a weapon he had never used to kill. The sword began to crack under the strength of the Nephilim’s weapon. Marduk’s heart filled with fear as he saw his own sword shatter, while Jurhum watched with glee. Their eyes meet in that moment, four blue eyes and four yellow eyes looking into one another. Both of their grips loosened as they could no longer focus on the battle. Their weapons eventually fell on the ground, and without even realizing it, their hands had fell into the other’s.  
“I… I never knew…” Jurhum had a hard time speaking Annunaki, not only because he barely knew the language. “I never knew an Annunaki could be so…” He tried to look away, while tightening his grip on Marduk’s hands, “…so handsome.” Marduk blushed, giving his cheeks a lavender hue.  
“I…” Marduk’s hands were starting to sweat, but luckily, Annunaki sweat had the same smell of vanilla and mint, “I don’t know what to say. I never knew a Nephilim could have such a gentle grip.” Marduk rubbed Jurhum’s callous hands; to his touch, they felt like the finest silk.  
“Maybe it’s time for this war to end…” Jurhum’s lips were near to Marduk’s.  
“We could... join forces. Perhaps, we could rule together.” Marduk’s hand caressed Jurhum’s smooth face, his fingers playing with his hair.  
“We could.” When the two armies arrived, they found the two kings joined in a kiss. A few months had passed. Ambassadors from all over the galaxy arrived on Nibiru with the purpose of over-seeing the most beautiful peace treaty imaginable: the marriage between King Marduk of the Annunaki and King Jurhum of the Nephilim, the rulers of the newborn United Kingdom of Nibiru. For the first time, their planet knew peace; and where bureaucrats and foreign government had failed, love succeeded. A small spacecraft made its way towards the other side of the universe.  
“We’re so damn late!” Said Siobhan as she adjusted her dress.  
“I know, I know!” Replied Koun’tess, “Only a dozen more light hours and we’re there!”  
“For the last time ye space ride , I don’t know how much that is!” Siobhan lamented, “Also, we’re going to visit my parents before we go home, aye?”

Meeting Her Parents  
They landed on the spaceport nearest to Cork, the newly built Mallow Spaceport made just two years prior, thirty-five kilometers north of the O’Donnell household. They had arranged to meet that day, as there was supposed to be an eclipse, and the sweet girl from Ireland hadn’t seen one in years. The two elderly parents were waiting just outside the spaceport, anxious to meet their daughter’s wife. They had plenty of Kant’bekkian friends by now, but the thought of their little girl marrying an alien still shook them. Armed security, human and Kant’bekkian alike, surrounded the place, as the two queens descended from their craft, escorted by two heavily armored guards. The royals wore beautiful and intricate dresses, with golden crowns encrusted with the most magnificent jewels from five different galaxies. Sean O’Donnell and Fiona Kennedy-O’Donnell watched what could have been called a small army surrounded their precious daughter, escorting her and her wife. The elderly couple soon stood in front of the rulers of one of the universe’s most powerful empires, and one of them was the little girl they had taught how to tie her shoes.  
“Mom! Dad!” Siobhan yelled in joy, hugging her parents, all while her guards pointed weapons right at them. “I missed you both so, so, so much!”  
“We missed you too, little cailín deas .” The old man lovingly kissed his daughter’s cheeks, as Koun’tess squinted her eyes at the elderly couple.  
“I believe” Koun’tess approached the little family, “We have yet to get to know each other, don’t we?”  
“Oh, yeah, you are right, you are right!” Siobhan’s mother awkwardly laughed, as she tried to shake hands with the alien spouse. “My name is Fiona and this is my husband-” As she approached the celestial monarch to shake her wings or her tentacles, every single guard raised their weapons towards her, ready to smother the matriarch to smithereens at any given moment. As the old lady screamed for dear life, Koun’tess rose her wings up towards the sky.  
“Maybe this place is too crowded.” In a moment, the four found themselves in a small living room, adorned with an awful green wallpaper and hideous carpets.  
“We’re…home?” Asked incredulous Mr. O’Donnell.  
“It’s one of her powers!” Siobhan yelled excitedly “She can teleport anywhere!” Koun’tess giggled and blushed, as it was legal on Earth.  
“Oh darling, you always exaggerate!” She scratched her wife’s chin with her favorite tentacle. “I can only teleport within five-hundred kilometers from my current location!” Mr. and Mrs. O’Donnell looked at the couple, slightly confused.  
“Well…” Said the woman to break the ice “As I was saying, my name is Fiona, and this is my husband, Sean. Nice to meet you.” She didn’t try to shake limbs this time.  
“My pleasure.” Said Koun’tess “I am Koun’tess, empress of Earth and Kant’bekkia and spouse of this cutie.” She lovingly nuzzled Siobhan’s neck, as she giggled.  
“Since we are now at home, would you like a freshly brewed cup of authentic Irish coffee?” Said Fiona.  
“It would literally melt my intestines.” Responded Koun’tess.  
“Oh.”  
The evening went by, and soon darkness engulfed them, as the shadow off the moon blanketed the sun. The lights of the city covered the beautiful stars the two wives were used to be gazing at. The couple was ready to leave; they had two more planets they wanted to visit during their honeymoon.  
“I wanted to ask you two…” Said Sean as he sipped on his third pint of the night “When are you getting us some nephews?”  
“Nephews?” Asked Koun’tess, confused.  
“Or nieces!” Added Fiona.  
“I don’t know.” Responded Siobhan “We’re both women.”  
“I know but…” Sean chugged down the thing “You can use those fancy space technology to get pregnant, right?”  
“We’re from different species, dad.” Siobhan didn’t like where this was going.  
“Doesn’t have to be an alien.” Siobhan’s fears came true. Koun’tess stood up, riling up her feathers.  
“Don’t say that.” Her eyes went crimson.  
“What, alien?” Sean was completely drunk “You’re an alien, right? Why can’t I say that?” Siobhan stood up, getting between a drunk Irishman and an angry alien.  
“Please stop!” Pleaded Siobhan.  
“You’re getting out of line, human.”  
“See? You call me human, I can call you alien!”  
“I am not an ‘alien’, I am the empress of Kant’bekkia!”  
“I don’t-” He hiccupped “I don’t even know how to say that, ye space slag.” Koun’tess eyes went completely red, engorged in rage.  
“This planet belongs to me!” Koun’tess began to yell in Kant’bekkian. In response, Sean began to yell in Irish. What came out was an unintelligible mess of screams and anger.  
“Stop it! Both of you!” Siobhan shouted, crying. “I just wanted the most important people of my life to love each other, but I guess I can’t have that, can I?” She bolted outside, throwing her crown to the ground. Koun’tess eyes turned back to gold.  
“Love, wait!” Koun’tess followed her outside, so did her parents. “I’m sorry!” Koun’tess yelled as she went out of the door. Siobhan was standing still out of the porch. Koun’tess hugged her from behind. “I’m sorry, forgive me!” She cried. Her father approached them, hugging both.  
“I’m sorry you two, I-I just can’t… I just can’t keep up with all of this…” He began to cry “Everything is changing so fast, you used to be my girl, and now you are the queen of a space empire or something!” He laughed it out.  
“It’s fine, both of you.” Said Siobhan. “I forgive you. Koun’tess, dear, do the stars look different to you?  
“Uh, no, why are you-” She looked up the sky, as the eclipse was surrounded by feeble crimson lights that had replaced the stars.

Her Past  
“There was someone, before you.”  
“Were they human?”  
“His mother was. His father was the mightiest of the gods.”  
“His?”  
“Gender has no meaning to me.”  
“What happened to him?”  
“Even if he was immortal, my father hated his human side. I begged him to spare his life. To spite me, he sent him somewhere else. Somewhere far away.”  
“What was his name?”  
“Endymion. Endymion Aethlius.”

The Invasion, Part 1  
Koun’tess rose her wings once again. In a moment, the four of them were within the spacecraft the royals had arrived with.  
“What are you doing?” The three human asked in unison.  
“We need to leave this planet immediately.” Koun’tess said as she started up the ship.  
“What’s happening?” Asked a terrified Siobhan.  
“I don’t know, but it’s nothing good.” However, the ship refused to start up, as something was holding it down. Suddenly, Koun’tess realized something. As she looked outside using the ship’s monitors, she noticed that every single guard, whether it was human or Kant’bekkian, was laying on the ground, lifeless. However, there was no blood to be seen. Something began to bang on the top of the ship.  
“Koun’tess…” Siobhan grabbed her lover’s wing “Did you hear that?”  
Again.  
And again.  
Someone, something, was banging and scratching on the ship. Then, the sounds started coming from everywhere around it. Koun’tess refused to see outside, out of fear of what lurked in the shadows. She rose her wings once again. The noises stopped.  
“What… what did you do?” Fiona asked, as her husband had passed out, both out of fear, and for the alcohol.  
“I took you somewhere safe.” She said. “Please wait.” She teleported once again, outside of the ship, as she felt the barren, rocky environment below her claws. From there, she could see the Earth.  
“This should be safe enough.” She thought. “Kant’bekkia is too far, and bringing four humans outside this plane of existence would drive them insane. We should be alone here.” As she turned around, she saw two glowing figures approaching from behind. They looked almost human, yet one of them was completely devoid of color, and both glimmered in the darkness of the cosmos.  
“I’ve never seen one of your kind before.” The one wearing a crescent crown said. “Are you from beyond this realm?” Koun’tess stared at them, petrified.  
“How…” She said. “How are you speaking my language?”  
“I am not. You are speaking mine.” She smiled. “My name is Selene, and this is my companion for life, Charma.”  
“My name is Koun’tess. My companion, my wife is inside this ship, along her parents. But they are humans.”  
“Humans?” Asked Charma, excited “I used to be one, millennia ago. Please, let us meet her.” Charma approached the scared alien.  
“Only your wife.” Selene said. “Her parents will stay inside this machine.”  
“That’s fine with me, but humans can’t survive in this environment.”  
“She will.” As she said this, Selene clapped her soft hands. In a moment, life bloomed all around them; the moon became a small patch of Earth, full of beautiful flowers Koun’tess had never seen before. She was confused, unsure if she could trust those beings. Eventually, she let Siobhan exit the ship.  
“Where… where are we?” Were Siobhan’s first words once outside, as Koun’tess looked surprised.  
“Welcome. This is the Moon.” Said Selene with a warm smile.  
“The moon?” Yelled Siobhan, incredulous. “How is this the moon? And who…” She gave a closer look to the two women that had welcomed her on the celestial body. “Who are you two beautiful ladies?”  
“We are goddesses.” Said Charma.  
“Your people used to worship us, many generations ago.” Added Selene.  
“I can believe that.” Giggled Siobhan.  
“Glad you like it here, love.” Koun’tess said “Because I believe we’ll stay here for a long time.”

The Invasion, Part 2  
The two young men were spending some time together, listening to music in their room.  
“This song is a damn banger!” Said David. “What was its name again?”  
“Africa, by Toto.” Responded Immanuel “I thought this was your favorite song.” As the two pals minded their own business, someone started knocking at the locked door.  
“I thought your parents weren’t coming until eight!” Said David, annoyed.  
“Damn it.” Said Immanuel. “Guess I’ll unlock the door. I wouldn’t want them to start getting suspicious.” Immanuel got off the bed, and unlocked the door. As he did, the person behind it slammed the door open, and grabbed the poor boy by the shoulders.  
“Dad, wait, I can-” As he realized he was not talking to his father, the assailant sunk their teeth deep down his neck, lacerating his flesh and his carotid, killing him in a few moments, draining his blood and life out of his husk of a body. David shouted in fear, as the vampire threw the corpse of his dear friend aside. The stench of the vampire’s rotten body filled the room, as the monster slowly approached the scared young man. With unmatched speed, the creature grabbed David by his neck and lifted him up in the air, as he begged for his life.  
“Vampire. Detected.” A metallic arm emerged from behind the vampire’s chest, letting David fall on the ground as the creature crumbled to dust.  
“Please don’t kill me!” David yelled, terrified, covering his eyes.  
“Unless you are a vampire, I won’t hurt you.” The mysterious man grabbed his hand. “I am sorry for your friend.” As David opened his eyes, he realized that the person that saved his life was completely covered in a metal armor, save for his face.  
“My name is Model 4NDR-3W-2” He said. “But you can call me Andrew.”  
“What’s… what’s happening?”  
“Somehow, a portal between our dimensions was opened, and the filthy vampires decided to invade your timeline.” Without explaining further, he left the traumatized you lad on his own, as his detector had intercepted something way too powerful to be a vampire. At the top of his speed, the robot pursued the signal to its source, in the middle of Cork, where an army of vampires had gathered. From the tallest building of the city, a man in a purple toga yelled his vows. His body was toned and muscular, yet his face was child-like, with long hazel hair and purple eyes.  
“Citizens of Earth!” He shouted, as the vampires cheered him. “I have returned after two thousand years of exile! A punishment I didn’t deserve! Tonight, I shall have my revenge! When the eclipse shall end, not a single human shall still be alive! Now go, my beloved, feast on these puny mortals!” Before the vampires could follow through, a powerful blast of light destroyed dozens of the of the dreadful creatures.  
“What?” Yelled the toga wearing man. “Who dares strike against my army?”  
“Me, bitch.” Andrew flew towards him, ready to turn him into a pile of flesh. “I guess you are the one behind this mess, uh?”  
“And who are you supposed to be?” He asked furiously.  
“You can call me Andrew. Not that I expect you to call me that, mind you.” He clenched his metal fists. “It will be hard to do that when I’ll rip your tongue off.” The man laughed.  
“Back in my day, we used to call this ‘hubris’, and trust me, it will be the death of you.”  
“And I will be the death of you!” The robot violently launched his fist right into the man’s face. However, with just his right hand, he had blocked the mechanical punch. In a moment, he had crushed the robot’s hand.  
“I…” The machine watched in disbelief “I don’t think you are a vampire…” Without saying anything else, the man punched right through Andrew’s mechanical exterior, opening a hole within the machine’s chest.  
“My name is Endymion. Endymion Aethlius. But you can call me hubris.” The man let go of the machine, as it fell down hundreds of meters above the ground. “Because I’ll be the death of you.” He turned his gaze towards the eclipse, smiling. “Oh, dear Selene, I can’t wait to meet you again.” 

The Final Struggle

“How am I breathing on the moon? How am I talking?” Siobhan still couldn’t believe she was among gods so far away from home. Yet again, she should have been used to that.  
“Because you are under my protection, dear one.” Selene gently caressed the young mortal, smiling calmly.  
“That’s still my wife.” Koun’tess said, annoyed by the way the goddess touched her beloved spouse.  
“I like this ‘wife’ thing.” Selene grabbed Charma’s hand. “My beloved, would you like to become my wife?” She proposed.  
“My love, for the last two millennia, I’ve already felt like your wife.” She grabbed Selene’s lips, and lovingly kissed them. “But I would marry you every moment of my life.”  
“That’s so sweet!” Siobhan said with hearts in her eyes “Koun’tess, why don’t you ever talk to me that way?”  
“I will once we’ll go home, geez.” Koun’tess said.  
“Wait…” Siobhan scratched her head “What about Earth?”  
“I believe it’s under attack, and for all we know, Kant’bekkia could be too. This is the best place to stay until we figure out what the fuck is going on.” Selene’s smile suddenly faded. She could feel it. She could feel him.  
“This is the worst place to stay.” Selene cried out. She knew what was coming. “You have to leave, you have to leave n-” In a moment, all of Siobhan’s dreams, all of her hopes and all of her happiness had vanished. Koun’tess fell on the ground, her blue blood staining her brown feathers. A man she never even knew had sliced the nape of her neck with nothing but his hands. As she looked at Siobhan one last time, her body began to float away into the void, as her life faded away, no longer under Selene’s protection.  
“Hanging out with monsters, Selene?” It was hard to say who screamed louder, whether it was Siobhan for the loss of her wife or Selene for the return of someone so dreaded. Charma stood there, paralyzed, as the memories of Hyperion still lurked in her nightmares.  
“So you do remember me.” He laughed. “Don’t worry, Selene, I’m not here to kill you. I’m here to do what you father did to me!” He violently grabbed her arm. “Where is that bastard? I want him to see his daughter be banished to another dimension!” Selene stood silent, unable to move, a goddess paralyzed by fear.  
“He’s dead.” Said Charma quietly, in a tone-deaf voice.  
“What?”  
“She killed him!” Charma shouted for the first time of her life. “Now go away! Nobody here did anything to you!”  
“That’s the problem!” Endymion yelled in anger and anguish. “Nobody did anything! When her father banished me for two-thousand years in another dimension, nobody came to help! I had to live as a human, I had to find my way out, all by myself! And now that I’ve returned, I want nothing more than to destroy this filthy universe, and punish those who’ve wronged me!”  
“She tried to-”  
“Silence! You weren’t there all these years ago!” He gave Charma a closer look. “Now that I think of it, I’ve never ever seen a goddess like you. Oh, don’t tell me, she turned you into a goddess? When she couldn’t turn me into one? Oh, Selene, you disgusting wench, you deserve the worst of hells!”  
“Found. You.” A mechanical, battered body had made its way on the moon. “Earth. Is. Full. Of. Vampires.” Andrew tried to strike down the vengeful demigod, to no avail. Endymion didn’t have any words to waste with the machine. With a simple swing of his hand, he beheaded the unlucky robot. “Vampires. On. Earth. Do. Something. Something. Something.”  
“Oh, I am going to do something!” Endymion lifted his hand, ready to crush the talking head with his fist. Selene came back to her senses, and with fury in her heart, she decided to mimic the barehanded killer, by using her own arm as a sword, and to slice the demigod’s arm.  
“I won’t let you hurt any more innocents!” Selene shouted. Endymion whimpered in pain, damning all of Selene’s divine bloodline.  
“Selene! Selene!” He yelled “You damn bitch! I am going to kill you! Kill you!” As he tried to hit the goddess with his other fist, Charma violently kicked him in the face, throwing him onto the grassy field that was once the rocky surface of the moon. With incredible anger and violence, Charma threw herself upon Endymion’s defenseless body, as she furiously pummeled his face to the ground.  
“I! Told! You! To! Go! Away!” She punched him on and on, again and again, a furious flame burning inside her. “Nobody will put themselves between my wife and I!” For what felt like hours, she kept on hitting Endymion’s corpse, which had by now turned into mushed meat.  
“Charma.” Said Selene. “Stop, please.” Selene lovingly grabbed Charma’s hand, cleaning off the splattered blood from her knuckles, and kissed lips. “I love you.”  
“I love you, too.”  
“Vampires. Earth. Vampires. Earth.” Andrew’s beheaded head repeated in loop.  
“Koun’tess… please… wake up…” Siobhan cried next to her wife’s body, as she tried to make her open her eyes, to no avail. Selene looked around, and understood. There was only one thing left to do.  
“Forgive me.” Selene told Charma, as she dug her hands down into the moon’s crust.  
“What? What are you-” Before Charma could finish, Selene yelled at the top of her lungs, as the moon shined harder than ever, as she used all of her power. In a moment, she moved the moon’s shadow out of the sunlight, giving no time to the invading vampires left on Earth to react, as their bodies burned down into a crisp. Koun’tess slowly opened her eyes, her wounds completely healed. Andrew found himself somewhere else. Not only he had returned to his universe, which was now vampire-free, but his body was no longer mechanical, he was a human. In a moment, all of their problems were gone.  
“Koun’tess!” Siobhan hugged her wife, kissing her all over. “You are back! I love you, I love you!” Siobhan turned her face towards Selene and Charma. “Thank yo-” Charma’s cries echoed throughout the moon, as she clung herself to Selene’s body, which had turned into rock, permanently becoming part of the lunar surface. She had given up her life, not only for Koun’tess, but for the entire universe. 

Eulogy

Selene, love of my life, for millennia I’ve loved you, and for millennia I will love you. Selene, merciful Selene, the love you had for me was infinite, the love you had for all life was far greater. Yet my love for you shall never perish, for I swore to love you for as long as I live, and forever I shall. Oh Selene, I missed you when I couldn’t see you, and I miss you now that I can forever. Your moon, the one you so much loved, was your palace and your grave, and now I shall watch it over for you, now that you cannot. Thanks to your sacrifice, the cosmos shall never know fear again. Thanks to you, many can love again. Thanks to you, many can live again. Gracious, eternal, beautiful, resplendent, love of my eternal life, Selene. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.


End file.
